Hazing

While hazing is many times justified as a means to build unity or for new members to "earn" their way into an organization, it is actually an act of power and control. Lycoming College is committed ensuring that hazing is not part of the fraternal experience and dedicated to pursuing efforts to prevent hazing in all forms.The following paragraphs regarding hazing are from the Student Handbook.

Introduction and Philosophy

Lycoming College is committed to promoting a campus environment that is just, open, disciplined, and caring. This philosophy supports the educational mission of the institution and our standards for co-curricular programs that facilitate students' development. Lycoming College is opposed to any activity that involves the hazing of any member of the college community.

Definition of Hazing

Hazing is any action or situation which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student or which willfully destroys or removes public or private property for the purpose of initiation or admission into or affiliation with, or as a condition for continued membership in, any organization operating under the sanction of or recognized as an organization by an institution of higher education. The term shall include, but not be limited to, any brutality of a physical nature, such as whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to the elements, forced consumption of any food, liquor, drug or other substance, or any other forced physical activity which could adversely affect the physical health and safety of the individual, and shall include any activity which would subject the individual to extreme mental stress, such as sleep deprivation, forced exclusion from social contact, forced conduct which could result in extreme embarrassment, or any other forced activity which could adversely affect the mental health or dignity of the individual, or any willful destruction or removal of public or private property. For purposes of this definition, any activity as described in this definition upon which the initiation or admission into or affiliation with or continued membership in an organization is directly or indirectly conditioned shall be resumed to be “forced” activity, the willingness of an individual to participate in such activity notwithstanding.